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DoD Positions Military Forces at Home, Overseas

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2001  U.S. military forces have been on the move since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the New York World Trade Center and the Pentagon, said a defense official.

"The Defense Department, as you know, is engaging and positioning its forces in various places to conduct whatever operations the president decides to direct," Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs Victoria Clarke told reporters Oct. 2 at the Pentagon.

Referring to an Oct. 1 White House press release, Clarke noted that about 30,000 U.S. troops, 350 aircraft, one amphibious ready group, and two carrier battle groups are currently deployed in theater.

The military is also performing a variety of missions as part of homeland defense, Clarke said, including patrols, remote sensing, transportation, and advisory teams. About 20,000 Guard and reserve members, she said, have been called to active duty from 115 units in 43 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.